Loudspeakers

To find the very first 800 loudspeaker you'll have to head back to 1979 and pop into Abbey Road Studios. You'll only discover a single 801 model though. It was only in 1987 that the range expanded, when the Matrix 801 was launched and inspired a full Matrix range, including the first 803 – a two-way, four driver speaker sitting in the middle of the family. The Nautilus 800s followed [HFN Nov '98, Aug '99, Sep '01 & Aug '02] but major changes came in 2005 with the 800 Diamond [HFN Apr '05], the speaker that introduced the exceptionally light and stiff 'Diamond' tweeter (formed by chemical deposition). Still sporting a traditional cabinet, the 803 D featured the brand's 'tweeter on top' design.

The original 'Diamonds' were replaced by the upgraded D2s in 2010 but the 800 D3 series, launched in 2015, represented a more substantial leap [HFN Oct '16]. The 'Turbine' head housing the mid driver was now fashioned from solid alloy as was the tweeter pod, above, while the 800, 802 and 803 cabinets adopted the now-familiar 'reverse-wrap' design with its rear spine, again, of aluminium. The 803 D3 [HFN Mar '16] was upgraded to become the smallest turbine head model in the range and included the Continuum midrange cone with Aerofoil woofers. Then, as now, the 803 became a very attractive proposition for audiophiles looking for a more affordable way to get their hands on the latest tech coming from the brand's SRE (originally the Steyning Research Establishment, now the Southwater Research Establishment!).